Material movement is a challenging aspect of many industries, particularly in the underground mining industry. Traditional material movement solutions have relied on diesel fuel and engines to provide power to mining equipment such as continuous miners, material loaders and haulers. Emissions, however, are potentially problematic for underground operations, as the heat rejected from the engine and the carbon emissions during operation must be removed from the mine through a ventilation system. Carbon emissions from the utilization of diesel-powered engines also contribute to increased equipment costs because of the provision, regeneration and maintenance of after-treatment filters that are necessary to capture such emissions.
In view of the drawbacks associated with diesel-powered vehicles and machinery, there has been a shift in the industry towards electrified mines. In electrified mines, electrical power is utilized as the motive power for mining equipment, for example, to power vehicles and machinery that load excavated material and then haul the material over a route to a tipping point where it is unloaded. When the haul route is located far from the electrical distribution system and/or in harsh environmental conditions, however, installing, inspecting and maintaining the cables and components of system that support the loading and hauling machinery operating along the haul route can be costly.
In view of the above, there is a need for a system and method for powering mining machinery and equipment utilized for material transfer and transport within a mine. In particular, there is a need for a system and method for transferring energy between material transfer and transport vehicles.